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    • UTEP ends its 9-game losing streak with a 30-21 victory over FIU in the Sun Bowl
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    UTEP ends its 9-game losing streak with a 30-21 victory over FIU in the Sun Bowl

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    When Scotty Walden was hired to rebuild UTEP football 10 months ago, the promise was a high-octane offense that would light up the scoreboards.

    He earned his first victory, a 30-21 victory over Florida International on Wednesday night in front of 11,373 spectators, behind a dominant defense that included four interceptions, and it will be a joy the entire Miner program will earn.

    An 84-yard interception return by Dorian Hopkins in the first quarter turned the tide of the game, and the rest of the night a Miner defense that had shown potential in the first six games before becoming worn out only grew stronger.

    It all led to UTEP ending the second-longest losing streak in the country after a nine-game deficit, and the formula seemed like one the Miners could emulate.

    The offense took advantage of short fields for three quarters. After an ugly interception gave the Panthers a lead in the fourth quarter, UTEP and backup quarterback Skyler Locklear rushed 76 yards in 10 plays to regain the lead with 11:29 to play.

    The defense was outstanding on third down (FIU was 3 of 13 on that down), and two of FIU’s touchdowns came on a short field after the fourth quarter interception and a blocked punt in the first quarter.

    More: ‘Let’s give this cat a chance’: Ezell Jolly’s time for the UTEP football team has come

    After UTEP regained the lead in a game in which it led for most of the second half, the defense made three more stops, including its third and fourth interceptions of the night, to end the game.

    For two months, Walden has been preaching that the Miners need to stay the course and everything will get better. This Wednesday evening, the party line turned into a party.

    UTEP leads 17-14 at halftime

    Seemingly on the verge of falling behind in the first quarter, an 84-yard interception return by Dorian Hopkins changed the game and allowed the Miners to take a 17-14 halftime lead.

    At that point, with 32 seconds left in the first quarter, FIU led 7-3 and had the ball at the UTEP 12, but Hopkins jumped a route, picked off the ball and made a big return before stiff-arming the ball The quarterback got out of his way and rumbled on to the 10th.

    The path for UTEP to cover the final yards became easier when Locklear’s helmet was torn off by a face mask. One play later, he took a 3-yard keeper for UTEP’s first lead since Week 3.

    The Miners fell behind 14-10, but in the final 2:06 minutes of the first half, UTEP held the Panthers to a punt, who then struggled on consecutive shotgun snaps, and soon the Miners forced a punt into the wind , who gave them the ball back to the FIU 42.

    Four plays later, Locklear found Jevon Jackson for a 22-yard touchdown pass for a rare lead.

    That was deserved, as the Miners gained 200-174 yards in the first half and Locklear was 11 of 15 passing for 134 yards.

    Next

    UTEP has another six-game turnaround ahead of it as it plays its final midweek game of the year on Tuesday night at Louisiana Tech. Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time, the final night game of the season, will be broadcast on CSB Sports Network. FIU has the same six-day turnaround and hosts Sam Houston at Pitbull Stadium at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time on ESPNU.

    Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X

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    Caradoc Wyn
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